Why do you have to get your wisdom teeth removed? Usually, it’s because of their increased risk of infection.
Most of the problems caused by wisdom teeth are because they’re more prone to decay, gum disease, or impaction. The benefit of wisdom teeth removal is that you can prevent additional complications in your adjacent healthy teeth.
Since preventative dental care allows most of us to keep our teeth healthy for life, there’s less of a chance that you’ll have extra space for your wisdom teeth to fill. The lack of room in your jaw can lead to a host of complications, not to mention pain.
Why Do You Have to Get Your Wisdom Teeth Removed?
Ultimately, wisdom teeth extraction in Downtown San Diego is recommended to keep your smile healthy overall and eliminate any pain. The problems caused by wisdom teeth typically include scenarios like:
- Impaction against adjacent teeth
- Cysts inside of the bone
- Decay in wisdom teeth and the next tooth
- Periodontal infections
- Crowding and tooth movement throughout your smile
Since wisdom teeth can erupt at an angle, they frequently become wedged against the tooth that’s next to them. This scenario can damage or even kill those teeth, depending on how the wisdom tooth is positioned. All of that pressure can push your teeth forward, creating a chain reaction that leads to crowding or crooked teeth at the front of your smile.
Partially erupted wisdom teeth are impossible to thoroughly clean with a toothbrush and floss. Since food debris and plaque can slip under the edge of the gums, it can stay there and cause eventual decay and gum disease. Both of these conditions are capable of spreading into adjacent teeth, costing you more than just the loss of your third molars.
Although the standard of care is to treat periodontal infections or decay with therapeutic steps, wisdom teeth typically become reinfected in a short matter of time. For that reason, removing them prevents recurring disease and eliminates the risk to other healthy teeth in your mouth.
Why do Wisdom Teeth Get Removed at Certain Ages?
Wisdom teeth begin developing early on during childhood. However, we usually don’t see signs of eruption until the teen or early college years. In fact, these third molars can continue developing through your late 20s and may not be fully formed until you’re nearly 30 years old. So even if you make it through high school without any issues-or college for that matter-you may not be completely off the hook.
Depending on how quickly your wisdom teeth develop, they can be taken out while you’re in high school, college, or even a young professional who is out on your own for the first time.
The earlier we’re able to screen for wisdom tooth complications, the more proactive we can be about taking them out. That way you can avoid complications in other teeth before pain or chronic infection develop.
Proactive wisdom tooth extraction reduces your chances of toothaches and keeps your smile healthy overall.
Wisdom Teeth Extraction San Diego
At Fifth Avenue Dental Arts, our San Diego dentists can tell if you need to have your wisdom teeth removed by taking a full-mouth X-ray or scan. This image will show us how your third molars are positioned and if there are any issues already going on. From there, we can plan the next steps, even if it’s just a “watch and wait” approach over the next several years. Or maybe we’ll see that they’re positioned in a compromising way that needs to be addressed immediately.
The benefits of wisdom teeth removal make it possible to maintain the health of your surrounding smile. If you suspect that you or your teen needs to have their wisdom teeth removed-or are experiencing problems caused by wisdom teeth-contact Fifth Avenue Dental Arts today. We’ll reserve an exam to evaluate your wisdom teeth and provide a professional assessment of what’s going on. Our San Diego dentists are happy to answer any questions you may have!
